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Yuval Raphael Meets With Israeli President Herzog Before Departing for 2025 Eurovision Song Contest

Yuval Raphael at President’s Residence in Jerusalem meeting with President Isaac and First Lady Michal Herzog. Photo: Ma’ayan Toaf (GPO)

Singer Yuval Raphael, Israel’s representative in the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest, met with Israeli President Isaac and First Lady Michal Herzog at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem on Monday shortly before traveling to Basel, Switzerland, to compete in the international singing competition.

The Ra’anana native – who is a survivor of the Nova Music Festival massacre on Oct. 7, 2023 – will compete in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “New Day Will Rise,” a ballad written by singer and songwriter Keren Peles. The song is mostly in English but features some French and Hebrew lyrics as well.

Raphael will participate in the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest, which will be broadcast on May 15, and, if she advances, will compete in the grand final on May 18. She won season 11 of the Israeli television show “HaKokhav HaBa,” (“The Next Star”), whose winner goes on to represent Israel in the Eurovision contest.

Before leaving for Switzerland, Raphael talked to President Herzog about her mindset going into the competition. “On the one hand, I’m arriving and working as someone who wants to win and is doing everything with that goal, but on the other hand, I can’t help but feel that just being there is already a victory, that I have the privilege to do this,” she said, according to the Israeli Government Press Office (GPO).

“We’re coming to win no matter what,” added the singer, who lived in Geneva for three years as a child. “I don’t have time to breathe — we’re working around the clock to deliver the best result possible. It really feels like preparing for the Olympics.”

Herzog gave Raphael words of encouragement, telling her that she has will have Israel’s support throughout the competition.

“We are all with you,” he said. “You have a wonderful personality, your story is incredible, and every time I hear the song, my heart swells with pride. We want so much for you to succeed.”

“When you step on that stage, remember that you will be in the hearts of every Israeli home, of the entire Jewish people in the Diaspora, and especially in the hearts of the pure and grieving families of the Nova tragedy, of that horrific massacre,” he further noted. “We are immensely proud of you and wish you the best of luck in this mission.”

Raphael survived the Nova music festival massacre on Oct. 7, 2023, in Re’im, Israel, by hiding from Hamas terrorists in a roadside bomb shelter. For several hours, she pretended to be dead and laid under dead bodies until she was rescued. Terrorists killed 370 people and kidnapped 44 civilians during their deadly rampage at the music festival.

Last year’s representative in the Eurovision Song Contest, Eden Golan, finished fifth place in the competition. She made it to the top five despite being booed on stage by anti-Israel audience members, facing death threats, and having a Eurovision jury member refuse to give her points because of his personal resentment toward Israel’s military actions in the Gaza war. Golan also said she was forced to conceal her identity outside her hotel room in Malmo, Sweden, where the Eurovision was held last year, because of the threats she received from activists furious about Israel’s participation in the contest.

Israel has been competing in the Eurovision since 1973 and won four times — in 1978 with Izhar Cohen’s “A-Ba-Ni-Bi,” 1979 with Milk and Honey’s “Hallelujah,” 1998 with Dana International’s “Diva,” and in 2018 with Netta Barzilai’s “Toy.”

The Eurovision Song Contest is organized by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Several national broadcasters have criticized the EBU’s decision to let Israel participate in this year’s competition because of the country’s military actions targeting the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas in Gaza. Iceland’s national broadcaster most recently called for Israel to be removed from Eurovision 2025, not long after Slovenia’s broadcaster and Spain’s broadcaster RTVE raised their own issues with Israel competing in the contest this year.

A spokesperson for the EBU told HuffPost UK last week that Israel’s national broadcaster Kan submitted an application to join the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest before the September deadline and “the application met all the competition rules.”

“As an independent media organization, our decisions are based on these rules,” the spokesperson added. “We all aspire to keep the Eurovision Song Contest positive and celebratory and aspire to show the world as it could be, rather than how it necessarily is. The EBU remains aligned with other international organizations that have similarly maintained their inclusive stance towards Israeli participants in major competitions at this time.”

The EBU spokesperson additionally noted that the union acknowledges “the concerns and deeply held views around the current conflict in the Middle East.”

“The EBU is an association of public service broadcasters who are all eligible to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest every year,” the spokesperson further noted. “We are not immune to global events but, together, it is our role to ensure the contest remains – at its heart – a universal event that promotes connections, diversity and inclusion through music.”

The post Yuval Raphael Meets With Israeli President Herzog Before Departing for 2025 Eurovision Song Contest first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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Far-Left Antisemitism Surged 324.8% Around the World in 2024, New Report Finds

A pro-Hamas march in London, United Kingdom, Feb. 17, 2024. Photo: Chrissa Giannakoudi via Reuters Connect

Global antisemitism surged by a staggering 108 percent in 2024 compared to the prior year, fueled largely by far-left ideology, according to a new report.

The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), a coalition of hundreds of organizations that fight anti-Jewish bigotry around the world, has released its annual report of antisemitic incidents, identifying 6,326 total cases last year with the vast majority — 4,329, or 68.4 percent — fueled by far-left ideology, a reversal from the group’s 2022 research in which the far right dominated and the 2023 findings which found a parity between the political spectrum’s two extremes.

“We are now facing the most severe wave of antisemitism since the end of the Second World War, a phenomenon that demands urgent global attention,” the CAM report states in its introduction. “Jewish communities worldwide have been subjected to an unrelenting onslaught of violence, harassment, and systemic discrimination, fueled by a fusion of far-left, far-right, and Islamist extremism. The international failure to combat this resurgence threatens the very security and stability of Jewish life around the world.”

CAM’s researchers found that incidents motivated by far-left beliefs had increased 324.8 percent from 2023 and Islamist-centered incidents (461) jumped 54.8 percent, while far-right-driven incidents (461) had fallen 54.8 percent. CAM attributed “radicalized social movements, media disinformation campaigns, and efforts to target Jewish communities under the guise of anti-Israel activism” as the primary culprits behind the jump in leftist antisemitism. The group also stated that Islamist recruitment tactics specifically target “vulnerable individuals susceptible to radicalization.”

To explain for the drop in right-wing incidents, the report’s authors suggested that “amid widespread and intensive media coverage of the Israel-Hamas war and related protests, political activity, and antisemitism – typical of far-left and Islamist circles – relatively less coverage is dedicated to far-right antisemitic incidents.”

While the report documents an increase in anti-Israel antisemitic speech, it also explains that classical antisemitism remains more likely to motivate hate crimes including vandalism, threats, and assaults.

“Far-right incidents are slightly more likely to manifest as violence and much more likely to involve vandalism than far-left incidents,” the report states, noting that 4.6 percent (21 of 461) of far-right incidents included violence or threats, compared to 3 percent (132 of 4,329) of far-left incidents. “Such trends suggest that far-right antisemites have a greater propensity than far-left antisemites to damage property or harm others,” CAM said.

Of the 6,326 total recorded incidents, 4,907 (77.6 percent) involved hate speech, 822 (13 percent) included vandalism, and 597 (9.4 percent) manifested as physical violence or threats.

The report also noted an increase of 63.7 percent in antisemitic incidents (712) which analysts could not identify with an ideology. These comprised 11.3 percent of the year’s total.

Incidents on campus also drew special attention from researchers, with 1,069 recorded at universities globally, up 120.8 percent compared to 2023 and by 198 percent compared to 2022. CAM’s analysts identified that periods with the highest incidents took place in mid-April and mid-May, correlating with when student activists’ anti-Israel protests hit their peaks.

Groups named as responsible for these demonstrations include Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Faculty for Justice in Palestine (FJP), and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). “These groups have systematically targeted Jewish students through social exclusion, harassment campaigns, and the dissemination of antisemitic propaganda disguised as political discourse,” the report states.

Researchers also offered a geographic picture of incidents, finding that 70.6 percent took place in the United States (2,553) and Western Europe (1,916). The states with the most incidents were New York (668), California (329), Washington, DC (157), Illinois (145), and Pennsylvania (142), comprising 56.4 percent of US incidents. Factors cited for these states’ higher numbers include the presence of large cities and universities.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) also released an annual audit of antisemitic incidents last month, with its research focused on the US and drawing from direct reports the group had received. Researchers counted 9,354 incidents, a 5 percent increase from 2023’s 8,873 incidents, a 344 percent increase over the past five years, and an 893 percent explosion over the past 10 years.

“The rise of antisemitism in 2024 is not a historical aberration — it is a defining moment in modern history,” CAM said when announcing the report. “Without resolute action now, the world risks entering a new dark era where antisemitism is once again condoned, allowed to fester, and institutionalized. Such a process creates a downward spiral, as hate begets hate, leading to the persecution and violence that have typified the Jewish experience over the millennia.”

The post Far-Left Antisemitism Surged 324.8% Around the World in 2024, New Report Finds first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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Trump Vows to Pursue ‘Total Dismantlement’ of Iranian Nuclear Program

US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at the White House in Washington, DC, US, April 23, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

US President Donald Trump said his goal to achieve the complete “dismantlement” of Iran’s nuclear program during a Sunday interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Trump made the comments during a sit-down discussion anchor Kristen Welker. 

“Total dismantlement. Yes, that is all I would accept,” Trump told Welker regarding Iran’s nuclear program. The comments

The US president cautioned that the “world will be destroyed” if Tehran is able to acquire a nuclear weapon. 

I want Iran to be really successful, really great, really fantastic. The only thing they can’t have is a nuclear weapon,” Trump added. “If they want to be successful, that’s OK. I want them to be so successful.”

The president’s comments come amid increasing pressure by Republican lawmakers to clearly outline his position on whether the US should take a more forceful stand against Tehran’s nuclear program, which Western officials believe is ultimately meant to build nuclear weapons. Iran claims its nuclear activities are only for civilian energy purposes.

Trump indicated that he would accept the creation of a civilian nuclear program for Iran, echoing comments from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the White House would support giving Tehran “a pathway to a civil, peaceful nuclear program.”

Tehran has repeatedly claimed that its nuclear program is for civilian purposes rather than building weapons. However, the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), reported last year that Iran had greatly accelerated uranium enrichment to close to weapons grade.

The UK, France, and Germany said in a statement at the time that there is no “credible civilian justification” for Iran’s recent nuclear activity, arguing it “gives Iran the capability to rapidly produce sufficient fissile material for multiple nuclear weapons.”

Lawmakers and analysts who wish for a tough US posture toward Iran have expressed concern about the ongoing US-Iran talks to reach a nuclear deal, arguing the Trump administration has seemingly vacillated positions on Iran’s nuclear efforts.

US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff drew backlash last month when, during a Fox News interview, he suggested that Iran would be allowed to pursue a nuclear program for so-called civilian purposes, saying that Iran “does not need to enrich past 3.67 percent.” The next day, Witkoff backtracked on these remarks, writing on X/Twitter that Tehran must “stop and eliminate its nuclear enrichment and weaponization program.”

Some members of the former Obama administration have expressed cautious optimism that the approach of Trump and his team to the current nuclear talks might mirror the steps they took to reach the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the 2015 deal which placed temporary restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of major international sanctions. Trump withdrew the US from the accord during his first presidential term in 2018, arguing it was too weak and would undermine American interests.

However, many high-profile lawmakers believe that the Trump administration should aggressively pursue the complete destruction of the Iranian nuclear program, arguing that such a program poses a substantial threat not only to Israel but also to the United States. 

“We cannot negotiate with Iran. It’s time to destroy their nuclear program and neutralize the remaining capabilities of its proxies. I remain steadfast with Israel. Provide whatever is necessary to carry this out,” Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) posted on X/Twitter on Sunday.

Israel has been among the most vocal proponents of dismantling Iran’s nuclear program, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arguing that the US should pursue a “Libyan option” to eliminate the possibility of Tehran acquiring a nuclear weapon by overseeing the destruction of Iran’s nuclear installations and the dismantling of equipment.

The post Trump Vows to Pursue ‘Total Dismantlement’ of Iranian Nuclear Program first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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Swarthmore College Anti-Israel Encampment Thwarted, 9 Arrested

Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) occupy a section of Swarthmore College on April 30-May 3, 2025. (Protesters’ faces were obfuscated by SJP, not The Algemeiner). Photo: Screenshot.

Nine students and non-students were arrested by law enforcement at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania on Saturday after they disobeyed orders to clear a pro-Hamas encampment which illegally occupied the institution’s Trotter Lawn section of campus.

According to The Phoenix, Swarthmore College’s independent campus newspaper, the encampment was stationed by Students for Justice in Palestine, a campus group which has been linked to Islamist terrorist organizations, on Wednesday evening in an attempt to “revive” similar demonstrations staged last year. Naming the encampment the “Hossam Shabat Liberated Zone,” SJP called on its supporters to “escalate” and establish a “site of colonial resistence” [sic] from which to demand divestment from companies holding economic ties to Israel.

No sooner had SJP done so than Swarthmore president Val Smith denounced the group for uttering “abhorrent statements celebrating violence and promoting hate” and directed school staff to begin removing lawn furniture SJP had moved to Trotter Lawn to support its occupation of it. Later, the Phoenix added, the Smith College Police Department formally alerted SJP that its members will be trespassed from the area, distributing a notice which cited Pennsylvania law as cause for the arrest of the participating demonstrators.

Developments slowed to a creep over the next three days, however, as Smith refrained from ordering arresting the students to provide them a chance to voluntarily comply with an ultimatum to leave Trotter Lawn by 11p m on Friday, after which time they would be detained and charged with a crime. Meanwhile, faculty and provost Kathleen Howard launched their own diplomatic effort, promising students “less severe” disciplinary sanctions in exchange for their abandoning the protest before the ultimatum expired. Some SJP members repelled their offers even, setting up the following morning’s confrontation with law enforcement.

According to the Phoenix, officers drawn from eight local departments responded to Swarthmore College’s plea for assistance with restoring order at 7:45 am on Saturday. Nine protesters were ultimately arrested, two of whom are students who were given interim suspensions. Seven of their classmates received a similar punishment before the demonstration was finally quelled. Accusations of police misconduct abounded after the police action but none that can, as of yet, be verified by video evidence.

“We tried talking with the protesters, but they refused to engage in any substantive conversation about ending the encampment,” Smith said in a statement issued after the encampment ended. “SJP continued to use social media to urge individuals from beyond Swarthmore to come to campus. In addition to placing the community at risk, the promotion of the protest on social media drew the attention of law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, who urged us to bring the encampment to an end as quickly as possible.”

She continued, “Some believe we acted too quickly and too forcefully; others will feel just as strongly that we waited too long to intervene. These divergent views reflect the complexity of a situation in which every path forward was fraught. Ultimately, I carry the responsibility of ensuring the safety and security of our entire community, and I acted with that interest in mind.”

On Sunday, SJP issued a volley of statements reviling America, Israel, Swarthmore College, law enforcement, and capitalism.

“Swarthmore enlisted a fascist brigade to secure a property financed by the commodification of violence,” the group said. “This is the logical conclusion of decades of actively financing and profiting off of apartheid, settler colonialism, and genocide. The ‘comfort’ that we receive from our scholarships, housing, and food, is funded by investments that actively destroy the world around it.”

Swarthmore College’s relatively swift dispersal of the encampment comes amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on who government officials have described as antisemitic, pro-Hamas protesters and the “woke” elite colleges who allegedly harbor them even as they violate the civil rights of Jewish students. Since March, government officials have been slashing federal funds previously awarded to universities over their apparent refusing to discipline such students and enact reforms which, conservatives believe, would prevent their being admitted to prestigious higher education institutions in the first place.

Swarthmore was the recipient of $2.8 million in federal grants in fiscal year 2024, according to the Phoenix, which amounts to “slightly more than 1 percent of its $234 million in revenue for the year.”

Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.

The post Swarthmore College Anti-Israel Encampment Thwarted, 9 Arrested first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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